Celebrated Aotearoa singer and songwriter Theia (Waikato, Ngaati Tiipaa, Ngaati Aamaru) will perform a special ‘homecoming’ concert exclusively for her haukaainga in Port Waikato on Saturday, February 28. Presented by Tainui Live and hosted at Tauranganui Marae on the banks of the Waikato River, this show is the centrepiece of Theia’s upcoming nationwide Debut Album Release Tour. Gates will open at 5pm and entry to the whaanau friendly, all-ages event will be by koha.
Midwave Breaks are bringing the noise for 2026 with their explosive new single. Self-produced on a farm in the hills overlooking the Bay of Plenty, the track marks the first radio release from the band’s forthcoming full-length album, kicking off an exciting new chapter for the Tauranga-based Rockers.
Aotearoa’s progressive bluegrass ensemble, You, Me, Everybody, have released their new album Midnight — a project that offers a fresh, local take on what bluegrass sounds like when filtered through New Zealand perspectives.
Off the back of a huge set at Rhythm & Vines festival and recent singles ‘Necklace’ and ‘Buttercup’, West Auckland post-surf rockers Double Parked have kicked off the year with another new single, ‘Lighthouse’.
Award-winning children’s music artist Chanelle Davis is back with her second Chanelle & Friends album, 'Creature Groove and Other Songs for Kids'! — a joyful, unmistakably Kiwi collection celebrating creatures, friendship, and the everyday magic of growing up in Aotearoa.
Following a breakthrough year on the international stage, Indie-pop band BORDERLINE has released their first single of 2026, ‘Tainted’. The hypnotic song blends shimmering synths and guitars with captivating melodies, shaping a sound that sits at the pop end of indie.
The Music Managers Forum Aotearoa (MMF Aotearoa) is pleased to announce its new Executive Committee, alongside the appointment of Joost Langeveld as interim Chair.
Aotearoa artist Hamo Dell returns with her warm, soulful new single “Tā Aroha (Love Letters)”, a contemporary R&B track shaped by Māori influences and deep emotional storytelling.
One year on from the release of Blake’s poignant ballad The Gift You Gave Me—and one year on from the passing of her aunty. Blake returns with its heartfelt sequel, You’re Still Here.
NZ bluegrass explorers, You, Me, Everybody unveil “Busy Without Me” — a bright, upbeat nod to those of us who spend our lives running the itinerary, only to realise we sometimes need to step off the schedule. Released to announce the band’s forthcoming album Midnight, due out 30 January 2026, “Busy Without Me” adds a playful, free-wheeling spirit to the new record.
Building on the momentum of his first single Horizon (released in November), Te Tara o Te Ika/Coromandel artist Matt Sephton releases “The Sky,” a storm-charged electronic piece carrying a sense of lift, movement, and elemental force.
Auckland pop-soul artist Verity returns with her boldest statement yet in her new single, “Out of My Head,” a raw and unapologetic story of finally stepping away from chaos and choosing peace. Known for her powerful vocals and honest songwriting, Verity once again brings her heart to the forefront — this time capturing the moment when clarity arrives after a long, toxic relationship has taken too much.
Renowned Grey Lynn, Central Auckland-raised rapper Diggy Dupé has returned with Brown Velvet EP, a new project made in collaboration with producer choicevaughan and arriving just in time for the Aotearoa summer season, out today via DRM.
Caru and Brandn Shiraz return with 'Two for Two', closing out the year with their finest work yet. Recently praised by Rolling Stone as “one of the best EPs of the year”. This new sharp dual-sided release pairs Caru’s slick production alongside Brandn Shiraz’s unmistakable and raw MC energy.
20-year-old pop artist Liberty peels back the layers of heartbreak in her new single “Call Me Back, Babe” a stripped-back acoustic-pop track that spirals through the emotional chaos of wanting someone who’s already let go.
After shooting to the top of the charts last month with her recent single, ‘COOL’, PRINS is back with another absolute banger, ‘HEAVEN OR HELL’. The driving, pop track infused with liquid drum and bass is also the title for her hotly anticipated EP, due out in 2026. Watch this space!
Off the back of last month's cathartic single release ‘Necklace’, West Auckland post-surf rockers Double Parked have shared another new single, ‘Buttercup’. Drenched in distorting reverb, gritty guitar riffs, and heavy drums, ‘Buttercup’ jolts with anxious and urgent energy, meshing half-spoken, half-sung verses with a raucous, high-charged hook.
Amy marks Emerson’s fifth collaboration with producer Harry Charles and her sixth release of 2025. Their partnership has already delivered four singles that charted on the NZ Hot 20, including her breakout track You Really Must Hate Me, which passed 100,000 Spotify streams, was spotlighted by Beats Per Minute (US), and secured four Spotify Editorial placements.
Today, songwriter Miles Calder shares new single ‘Go Slow’ and accompanying music video. As the latest single from his forthcoming Keeping Up EP, ‘Go Slow’ continues Miles’ collaboration with producer Samuel Flynn Scott (The Phoenix Foundation) and Tui-award winning engineer Lee Prebble (The Phoenix Foundation, L.A.B, The Black Seeds), recording and mixing the song at his studio The Surgery.
Following the release of their fourth album, Ōtautahi’s own Pickle Darling reemerges with crumple zones, a companion EP that reimagines and expands the sonic world of Bots. Following a track record of acclaim — from 2023’s Laundromat, featured in Rolling Stone AU/NZ’s “80 Best New Zealand Albums of the Decade So Far,” to 2025’s praised Bots — the EP affirms Lukas Mayo’s reputation as one of Aotearoa’s most inventive indie-pop voices.
Te Karanga Trust is proud to announce a special one-night event with Sony Music Group’s annual Season of Giving initiative, celebrating youth, creativity, and community connection. The event will take place at The Button Factory in Auckland, home to Te Karanga’s fortnightly youth programme DOJO, a creative safe space for emerging young artists to learn, grow, and perform.
When Israel Starr (Ngāti Porou ) teams up with his father, the legendary Mighty Asterix, the result is something truly special. Their new single, “Special Selection”, is a powerful celebration of family, legacy, and reggae culture.
Wellington hip hop artist Will McClean steps into a new era with the release of his double single “BOOK OF LIFE / UP”, arriving today. The project marks the first official release featuring his full live band, building chemistry on stages across New Zealand and turning these songs into crowd favourites long before they were ever recorded.
Turning to Hip Hop and RnB, featuring SWIDT, Diggy Dupē, Tom Scott, Melodownz, MokoMokai, and Mā. The record continues Kingi’s practice of deep collaboration and documentation of genre, flexing his producer skills while highlighting the strength and breadth of Aotearoa’s contemporary music scene.
“Movin’ Cautious” marks a rare collision of two of Aotearoa’s most forward thinking musical minds: Rapper and rhythm theorist Mazbou Q, and prog-metal guitarist/composer ATU. The pair deliver a sound that sits well outside the boundaries of either genre, fusing prog’s razor-edged guitar precision with modern trap-leaning drums and melodic hooks.
Zoe Scott is an indie folk artist based in Te Whanganui-a-Tara, blending haunting vocals with cinematic soundscapes. Her latest single ‘Burn the Witch’ is a stirring anthem of rebirth through pain — a haunting journey of power and vulnerability for fans of Maggie Rogers, Adrianne Lenker, and Florence + The Machine.
Aotearoa Music Awards Producer of the Year Nic Manders returns with his new single “Walking Slowly”; a contemplative and immersive track born from a quiet moment amidst the busyness.
A ‘who’s who’ of Pasifika artists and music producers have come together on a powerful project aimed at revitalising the Pacific’s most vulnerable and endangered languages. HIVA FOLAU VAKA - Vaka Carrying Music is a legacy project of the Pacific Music Awards Trust, nurturing the creation of new songs in Pacific languages, as part of the 20th anniversary of the Pacific Music Awards.
‘Be A Little Kinder’, the debut album by Pōneke-based alt-rock outfit Dropper, is available now, via Bigpop Records’ boutique label Particle Recordings.
Artist and multi-instrumentalist today shares dream, if you please, the second single from a larger body of work quietly taking shape. A tender alternative R&B lament wrapped in electronic soundscapes and emotive haze, the track floats like a dream you can almost touch, blurred at the edges but impossible to forget.
